Uncoupling mechanism



Jan. 5, 1932. w. KELSO v UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 4', 1926 2Sheets-Sheet Jan. 5, 1932, .KELso UNCOUPLING MECHANISM F ld 00t- 1926 2SheetS Sheet 2 645 attest m Patented Jan. 5,1932

; N TE Jsr rEs VANIA,

ATENT? OFFICES WILLIAM KELSO, or PITTSBURGH;PENNSYLVANIA, Ass'Ienon Trun ivrccoivwnv a TORLEY COMPANY, or rrr rsnunen, PENNSYLVANIA, A co'nron arron or rnnnsxL-e g I unoournmemncnamsm Application filed mare,1926. Serial N 139,408.

My invention relates to uncoupling mch:

anism for actuating the lock of a car coupler. \Vhile mechanismconstructed in accordance with the present invention is particularlywell adapted forassociation with thestandard D-coupler having a topOperated lock, it may be employed with couplers of other types as well.

The principal parts which may be easily assembledand disassembled andwhich cooperate'to produce a: reliable, efiicient and easily operateddevice.

The primary featureof' the invention, generally stated, consists inconstructing the and a crank member rotatably mounted thereon, the shaftand crank members being her being journalled in a plurality of laterallyspaced relatively movable bearing memers. I

A further feature of the invention-com ating said crank member. v

Other features of the invention relating to advantageous structuralforms. and arrang-ements'of parts will hereinafter appear. m Inthedrawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention thescope whereof is pointed out in the claims, 1

Figure 1 is a plan view'of an uncoupling mechanism involving theinvention, showing its relation to a car.

Figure 2 isan end elevation of the con struction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Figure 4k is a detail; view, partly in plan object of the invention; istom construct such a mechanism of a'fewsimple detachably interlocked andthe shaft mem I sistsin forming the uncoupling lever of rela '1 shaft aswell as to constitute means for actuand partlyinsectiomof the movableuncoupling'leverbearing' and the base on which it is mounted-,a portionof the uncoupling lever being also shown. i Figure 5 is a detail view,partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the partsshown inFig. 4. 5

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the mechanism, looking inwardly towardsthe coupler. Figure 7 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly inverticalsection, of a modified form of the invention.

FigureS "is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig.7.

.Figure9is a front elevation of another modified form of the invention.

The car coupler 1 illustrated in the drawings is of the well known topoperated standard D-type' wherein the locking block for the knuckle ismoved to unlocked position by a lock lifter Q-Which also functions as alockto-the lock for preventing accidental unlocking of the coupler.

.- Themechanism for actuating the coupler locking mechanism consists ofa transverse ly extendmg revolubleuncoupling lever 1nvolvmga shaftmember 3 upon which 1s movably mountedv a crank member 4 for cooper"ating with the lifter 2 of the coupler locking mechanism. 1 r

,Both members of the'uncoupling lever are preferably formed from roundbars. At one end the crank member 4 is provided with a transverselyextending portion 5 which projects through andis slidable and revolublewithin the opening in the upper end of the lock lifter 2, while at itsother end it is pref erably formed with an eye 6 which receives theshaft member 3. At its outer end the shaft member is fashioned with adownwardly projecting operating handle 7 and at its inner end it'ispreferably bent so as to" extend forwardly and then'under the crankmember .4 and then upwardly, as indicated at 8,9 and 10, respectively.This manner of forming the adjacent ends of the uncoupling lever partspermits the crank member 4 to have a limited rotation with respect tothe shaft member 3, thereby permitting the latter toassume itsnormalposition while the cou ler locking mechanism is in unlocked position. Italso permits the crank member to shift its angular position laterally,thus enabling it to have a limited universal move- 5 ment with respectto the shaft member 4.

Moreover, means are thereby provided for effecting an unlocking movementof the crank member 4 when the shaft member 3 is actuated for uncouplingand, in addition, the

uncoupling lever members are interlockingly connected when the parts areinassembled relation.

The uncoupling lever is revolubly mounted upon the car by means of aplurality of lat-' orally spaced relatively movable hearings in whichthe shaft member 3 is journalled, the inner bearing member 11 preferablybeing rotatable on an axis extending substantially normal to the axis ofrotation of the shaft a member, and the outer bearing member 12 beingrigidly bolted 0r riveted to the car end sill. The movable bearingmember 11 is pro vided at its inner end with an upwardly projectingapertured lug 13 for receiving the a shaft member 3, the walls of theaperture being rounded, as indicated at 14, to prevent the shaft memberand movable hearing from binding on each other when shifting theirangular positions. The bearing 11 may be is advantageously mounted onthe car by providing it with an integral downwardly projecting pivot pinor trunnion 15 having oppositely projecting locking lugs 16 at its lowerend, and by securing to the car end sill an an anchor bracket or baseplate 17 formed with an aperture 18 for receiving the pivot pin 15, theaperture being so elongated as to permit the locking projectionslti toenter and be withdrawn only when the rotatable bearing so member 11 isturned substantially ninety degrees from its normal position. By thismeans the movable bearing 11 is detachably connected to the anchorbracket 17 and is interlocked therewith when the parts of the pamechanism are in assembled relation.

The outer bearing bracket 12 in which the shaft member 3 is journalledis preferably provided with an upwardly extending beari119; lug 19 forreceiving the shaft member so jufl inwardly of the operating handle 7and it is also formed with an upwardly projecting' lug 20 constituting astop which cooperates with the handle portion of the shaft member 3 toprevent outward lateral shifting Q5 of the uncoupling lever. Innerlateral shifttS ployed to prevent disassembly of the lever.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is thesame as that heretofore described except that the movable my hearing inwhich the shaft member 3 is journailed is designed to be mounted on theend of the car body rather than upon the car end sill. In thisconstruction the movable bearing is fashioned as a link 22 having at itslower end an eye 23 for receiving the shaft member 3 and provided at itsupper end with an eye 24 for receiving a supporting hook 25 firmlysecured to the car body.

Figure 9 illustrates a construction in which the uncoupling lever 26 isformed as a unitary member having an operatin handle 7 at the outer endand a crank portion 4 at its inner end. This construction is otherwisethe same as that shown in the principal figures of the drawings andaccordingly, as in the case of the modified form of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, corres onding parts have been indicated bylike re erence numerals.

The mechanism may be assembled by placing the movable bearing 11 uponthe shaft member 3 and then mounting the crank member 4 upon the latter,after which the bearing 11 is turned about ninety degrees from itsnormal position and its pivot pin 15 entered in the opening of theanchor bracket 17. The bearing member 11 is then turned toward normalposition so as to interlock with its supporting bracket and theuncoupling lever is shifted laterally so as to cause the inner portion 5of the crank arm member to enter the opening at the upper end of thelock lift-er 2. When this has been accomplished the shaft member 3 ispositioned in the outer bearing lug member 19 and the cotter 21 isinserted, thus completing the assembly.

'I claim:

1. In uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, the combination of anuncoupling lever for actuating the locking mechanism of a car coupler,said lever being provided at its inner end with a crank for cooperatingwith the coupler locking mechanism and having an operating handle at itsouter end together with a shaft portion rigidly attached to said handleand extending transversely of the car, and a plurality of laterallyspaced bearing members in which said shaft portion is journalled, theinner of said bearing members be- .ing rotatable on a fixed axisextending substantially normal to the axis of rotation of said shaft anddisposed between said crank and said operating handle, and the outer ofsaid hearing members being rigidly connected to the car body and beingprovided with a stop cooperating with said handle to prevent outwardlateral shifting of said lever.

2. In uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, the combinui on of anuncoupling lever involving a transversely extending rotatable shaftmember and a crank member rotatably mounted on said shaft member andadapted to cooperate with the coupler locking mechanism. said shaftmember being journalled in a plurality of laterally spaced relativelymovable bearing members. one of said bearing members being horizontallyrotatable on a provide means for limiting sliding movement of the crankmember in the direction of length of the shaft and also means foractuating said crank member, and a plurality of relatively movablebearings in which the shaft member is journalled, one of saidbearingmembers being horizontally rotatable on a fixed pivotal axisdisposed between said crank member and said operating handle.

4. In uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, the combination of anuncoupling lever involving a transversely extending revoluble shaftmember and a crank member mounted thereon with capability of limitedrotation with respect thereto so as to permit the shaft member to assumeits normal position while the coupler locking mechanism is in unlockedposition, said shaft member being provided at its outer end with anoperating handle and being provided at its inner end with means formingan interlocking detachable connection to said crank member, a pluralityof bearing means in which the shaft member is journalled, and meanscooperating with said shaft member for preventing outward move ment ofthe latter in its direction of length when the parts are in assembledrelation, one of said bearing members being rotatable on a vertical axisdisposed between said crank and said operating handle.

5. In uncoupling mechanism for car couplers, the combination of atransversely extending uncoupling lever involving a shaft member and acrank member, said shankmember being revoluble and having a journalportion constituting its axis of revolution,

and said crank member being provided with arms extendlng at an angle toeach other and having an eye for receiving said journal por-' tion ofsaid shaft member, the shaft and crank members having a limited relativerotation permitting the shaft member to assume nor-, mal position whilethe coupler locking mechanism is unlocked, and a plurality of relativelymovable bearing means spaced along the shaft member and in which theshaft member is journalled, the said bearing means which is nearer saidcrank member being pivotally movable on a vertical axis, said shaftmember being provided at its outer end with an operating handle andbeing bent at its inner end so as to extend forwardly and thendownwardly and then under said crank member in the direction of lengthof said shaft member and then upwardly, whereby the crank member isinterlockingly maintained on said shaft member in assembled relationthereto.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM KELSO.

